What makes us human? Our human hearts. Our ability to wonder, explore, grow, and love.
April 3, 2021, the day before Easter.
By the time I climbed to the top of the Vortex, Norden had already been up and down three times. I sat down on the huge rock, my legs criss crossed. The top was only the size of a two-person kitchen tabletop. Instantly, I felt the pulsing of the rock underneath me. It felt as if it were alive. I was a little shaken up.
Putting my hands on the ground beside me, I felt a tickling sensation on my fingers. I know I am very sensitive to energy, plus we had just spent an evening of Pranic Healing meditation and Crystal Sounding healing with a Plat sister the night before.
“Do you feel anything?” I asked Samuel.
“Yes,” Samuel responded, his fingers were tingling too.
Serena put her whole body down in a child pose position. “The rock sorta pulsing.”
Norden looked at all of us and shook his head. “I was born in the wrong family.” With a joking smile on his face, he took off again to explore the next peak.
On the way back to our car, a discussion between sister and brother started a few steps ahead of Samuel and me.
“If I tell my friends my sister talks to the rocks, they’ll think I’m crazy.”
“No, it’s not about talking with them! It’s about feeling and appreciating from your heart.”
Norden picked up a rock from the road and held it up to Serena’s face, “Okay then, talk to this one! Tell me what it says!”
Serena rolled her eyes and swatted his hand away, “Norden, just because you can’t see or feel the energy doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.”
“If I ask anyone on this trail, no one else would know that.” Norden sounded confident as usual.
I heard a deep voice ask, “No one else knows what?” A tall man from the opposite direction had stopped in front of us. I noticed the straps of his backpack were aqua blue, the same as mine. His face had wrinkles and the sun had worked its magic to make his skin a red tan, almost like the color of the Sedona earth.
“Would you like to have a heart from the mother earth?” He handed Samuel, Serena, Norden, and I each a heart-shaped rock; it fit perfectly in my palm. It looked hand-carved.
“Thank you. My sister said she can talk to the rocks. Can you?” Norden glanced at Serena in a taunting manner.
“Yes, I can.” The man answered with a smile. I watched Norden’s eyes open wide with surprise.
“I can speak to all living energies. We are all connected; we are all one. All you have to do is listen and speak from your heart.” The man smiled wider, putting his right hand on his heart.
“Did someone send you to tell me this?” Norden's eyebrows had climbed to the top of his forehead. His question made all of us laugh.
“No.” And for the next 10 minutes, the man looked directly at Norden and told him about his journey of listening to his heart, finding joy, and discovering oneness. He answered questions that Norden didn’t even ask, but was part of his debate with Serena. Later I learned his name was Robert and he had been going to the Vortex every day to play his flute and gift rock hearts to the trailblazers.
“Um, did you learn this from a spiritual podcast?” Norden’s question made everyone laugh again. I was surprised he listened so attentively.
“No, I listened to my heart. I’m 69 years old and it took me a long time to learn that. Everything is about the heart, young man.” As he answered Norden’s last question, a group of hikers came around the corner. “Would you like to have a heart from the mother earth?” With that, Richard continued his journey of spreading love with his heart.
Walking back to our car, Norden was dazed and looked stricken the whole way there. Closing the car doors, Norden announced, “Nobody talk to me now. I need a moment. I’m pretty sure that guy is a god himself.” For once, he became really quiet. I couldn’t help but smile from the front seat.
What makes us human? Our human heart. This heart has the intelligence to feel, to love, to give, and receive. Thank you Robert for your beautiful gift to my boy. I know your heart has just touched his, profoundly.
Love,
WeiLi